POMREHN AND EASTON NOMINATIONS TUESDAY, JULY 28, 1992 U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND Natural RESOURCES, Washington, DC. The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:40 a.m. in room SD366, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Larry E. Craig, presiding. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. LARRY E. CRAIG, U.S. SENATOR FROM IDAHO Senator CRAIG. The committee will come to order. Chairman Johnston is apparently stuck in traffic this morning. To expedite, let us begin because we all have schedules, and I am sure that the two gentlemen before us have today. Let me call the committee to order. This is a hearing on President Bush's nominations for two positions to the Department of Energy, Dr. Hugo Pomrehn to be Undersecretary of Energy and John Easton to be Assistant Secretary of Energy for Domestic and International Energy Policy. Without objection, the written testimony of the witnesses, the committee questionnaires, and financial disclosure statements furnished by Mr. Pomrehn and Mr. Easton will be submitted for the record. [The prepared statements of Senators Johnston, Wallop and Mr. Brown follow:] STATEMENT OF HON. J. BENNETT JOHNSTON, U.S. SENATOR FROM LOUISIANA The committee will come to order. This is a hearing on President Bush's nominations for two positions at the Department of Energy; Hugo Pomrehn to be Under Secretary of Energy and John Easton to be Assistant Secretary for Domestic and International Energy Policy. Without objection, the written testimony of the witnesses, the committee questionnaires and financial disclosure statements furnished by Mr. Pomrehn and Mr. Easton will be submitted for the record. PREPARED STATEMENT of Hon. Malcolm Wallop, U.S. SenaTOR FROM WYOMING Good morning. I would like to welcome to the Committee today Dr. Hugo Pomrehn and Mr. John J. Easton, the President's nominees for the positions of Under Secretary of Energy and Assistant Secretary of Energy for Domestic & International Energy Policy, respectively. Dr. Pomrehn has been employed by Bechtel Corporation for more than 24 years and is currently Vice President and Manager of their Los Angeles Office. He holds a PhD. in engineering from the University of Southern California. Bringing more than 30 years of energy-related experience to DOE, Dr. Pomrehn is well-qualified for the position of Under Secretary of Energy. (1) Mr. Easton needs no introduction to the Members of this Committee, having been twice confirmed by the Senate for positions in the Department of Energy. He currently serves as General Counsel and previously was Assistant Secretary of Energy for International Affairs and Energy Emergencies. Prior to joining DOE, Mr. Easton was in private law practice, and from 1981-1985, he served as Attorney General for the State of Vermont. Mr. Easton holds a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. Mr. Chairman, I support the nominations of both Mr. Pomrehn and Mr. Easton and believe they will serve the Department very ably. PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. GEORGE E. BROWN, JR., U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM CALIFORNIA I am here today before the Energy and Natural Resources Committee of the Senate to speak in behalf of Hugo Pomrehn the nominee for Under Secretary of Energy for the Department of Energy. I have known Dr. Pomrehn for many years since his early days with the Bechtel Corporation where he had a distinguished career as an engineer and project manager. He also has served with the Tennessee Valley Authority. Dr. Pomrehn brings to the DOE his experience as an energy and environmental engineer while in industry. This experience is especially relevant to the problems facing the Department. At a time when environmental problems are besieging the agency, and when the energy picture is becoming more acute as oil imports soar, Dr. Pomrehns capabilities are sorely needed. Dr. Pomrehn is a man of the highest ethical standards and character. He possesses sound judgment tempered by years of problem solving and decision making. I know from personal experience that he will use these attributes in his position of Under Secretary for the betterment of his country. We sometimes feel that the talent and experience of nominees for top agency positions are not commensurate with the responsibilities of the job. In this case we have been extremely fortunate to have someone with the capabilities of Hugo Pomrehn as the nominee. I strongly support his nomination and urge the Senate to confirm Hugo Pomrehn for Under Secretary of Energy of the Department of Energy. Senator CRAIG. At this time, let me recognize my colleagues who are here today to introduce these two gentlemen. Let me start with my two colleagues from the Senate that are accompanying Mr. Easton to, I understand, introduce and speak in his behalf. First of all, Chairman Leahy, would you like to start? STATEMENT OF HON. PATRICK J. LEAHY, U.S. SENATOR FROM VERMONT Senator LEAHY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the opportunity. I joked a little bit with John Easton when he came in and said this room has become the Easton confirmation memorial room. Indeed, it has. John has held significant positions already in the Department of Energy. Both Senator Jeffords and I have been here to introduce him on those occasions and probably to indicate what is unique, and I think very good, about the State of Vermont. We are a very small State, but we produce some very good people. We share a bipartisan pride in those people. John Easton was attorney general of our State. He was also the Republican nominee for Governor in our State. John and I, of course, are on opposite sides of the political fence, but it has been my great pleasure that he and I have been good friends for years and years in Vermont and down here. He is also somebody, as I have told this committee before, that I endorse, without reserve. I am proud of what he has done at the Department of Energy. I have certainly been proud of my association with him. I have found it very helpful, often times on very complicated issues, I have been able to just pick up the phone, get a quick, accurate, and complete briefing from him. Mr. Chairman, I just want to say that I know we are getting tight on the schedule in the Senate and nearing time for the August recess. I strongly support Mr. Easton. I will certainly be willing to work with this committee and with the Senate leadership to expedite consideration of his confirmation. I know that once it is on the Senate calendar, and goes before the Senate, it will be as it has been in the past. He will be unanimously confirmed. That is all I have to say other than just to pledge to this committee that I will work with the Senate leadership to expedite this confirmation process. I would like to yield to my good friend and colleague, Senator Jeffords. Senator CRAIG. Senator Jeffords. STATEMENT OF HON. JAMES M. JEFFORDS, U.S. SENATOR FROM VERMONT Senator JEFFORDS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also have great pleasure in being here with John Easton. We have known each other for many, many years. John has become the Energy Department's energizer. He just keeps going up, and up, and up. I do not know where he is going to end up. He certainly is moving rapidly and much to our great benefit. I have known John for many years. He followed in my footsteps as attorney general for two terms. Unfortunately, again, followed my footsteps and became a candidate for Governor. Like myself, the people of Vermont decided we ought to go elsewhere. We both have done all right. So it was not so bad after all. I would say that John will provide for us in the very difficult job of the assistant secretary for domestic and international energy policy. He has already served on the international side. He is going to combine them now. As the chairman knows, this is an area in which I express a great interest at times. I am hopeful that will prove to some mutual benefit to the country. With that, Mr. Chairman, I would just say that as my senior colleague has, there ought not to be any problem with John. He is a fantastic hard worker and an excellent candidate. He ought to whiz right through here. Senator CRAIG. Thank you both very much. I hope that we can move these gentlemen before the August recess. I think that is the intent of the chairman. Your assistance and cooperation in causing that to happen will be, I am sure, greatly appreciated by all parties, including the two nominees that are before us. Let me now turn to those speaking in behalf of Mr. Pomrehn. STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN SEYMOUR, U.S. SENATOR FROM CALIFORNIA Senator SEYMOUR. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is my distinct pleasure to introduce Dr. Hugo Pomrehn, a distinguished citizen of California, and my home county, Orange County, California. He is President Bush's nominee for Undersecretary of Energy. This ap pointment is yet another accomplishment in Dr. Pomrehn's long and impressive career in the energy sector. A native of Illinois, as I, Dr. Pomrehn came to southern California, as I, to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Southern California; except I went the opposite way. I went to UCLA, the cross-town rival. Dr. Pomrehn's accomplishments are truly worthy of praise. After receiving his bachelor's degree in 1960, Dr. Pomrehn spent 4 years in the Navy as an officer in the headquarters staff of Admiral Hyman Rickover's naval reactors group. Following his tour with the Navy, he went to work as a nuclear reactor project scientist for the firm of Holmes and Narver. In 1967 he began his tenure with the Bechtel Corporation as a nuclear and environmental engineer. Throughout his tenure at Bechtel, Dr. Pomrehn held positions of increasing responsibility and versatility in the energy field. He has served as a project engineer at a nuclear plant in Arizona, and a fossil fuel plant in New Zealand, a chief plant design engineer, the manager of business development for the southwest, and the project manager for Bechtel's Korean nuclear projects. From 1986 to 1988, Dr. Pomrehn was loaned to the Tennessee Valley Authority as site director for the Browns Ferry nuclear power plant. Following his return to Bechtel, he was named vicepresident and general manager of the Bechtel/Kraftwerk union alliance which provides maintenance, modification, and inspection services to operating nuclear power plants in the United States. Dr. Pomrehn and his wife Ellen reside in Westminster, California, and have three children, and one grandchild. His extensive practical experience in the energy generation field, and his proven management expertise, will certainly be an asset to the Department of Energy. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to introduce Dr. Pomrehn to this committee and I look forward to his speedy confirmation. Thank you. Senator CRAIG. Thank you very much. It is nice to have before the committee a former colleague of mine from the House and I think classmate of the 1980 class that came to the House, Congressman Ron Packard. Congressman, welcome to the committee. STATEMENT OF HON. RON PACKARD, U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM CALIFORNIA Mr. PACKARD. Thank you very much, Senator. I think I would pray for more accidents on our freeways, if it would change the Chair as it has occasionally here in the Senate. If it would do that on the House side, I think we would. [Laughter.] Senator CRAIG. The Chairman has just arrived. [Laughter.] Mr. PACKARD. I am delighted to have the chairman with us. I was just saying that on the House side, I would pray for some accidents on our freeways here locally, if it would change the way we make up our committee structure on the House side. |